MARKETPLACE AIR TRANSPORT
• Belgian long-haul start-up VG
Airlines has taken delivery of
the first of three ex-Sabena
Airbus A330-200s, with the
second due to follow later this
month and the third arriving in
early April. The airline expects to
begin scheduled operations
before the end of March on
services from Brussels to
Boston, Miami and New York.
Meanwhile, BAE Systems.
Aircraft Services Group has
teamed up with UK consultants
Airclaims to remarket four ex-
Sabena Airbus A319s and one
A321. • Turkish charter carrier
MNG Airlines has acquired the
first of its planned fleet of
Boeing 737-400s from Hapag-
Lloyd in a deal arranged by
Mitra Aviation of Toulouse,
France. • New Tunisian charter
carrier Karthago Airlines has
signed a lease deal with
Ansett Worldwide for two
Boeing 737-300s. The first air
craft has already been delivered
and the second will follow in
April. • Tobago Express has
taken delivery of an ex-
Rheintalflug Bombardier Dash 8
Q300 for operation on services
between Trinidad and Tobago.
Airstream International Group
arranged the deal. • Italian
charter carrier Volare Airlines
has concluded a ten-year lease
deal with International Lease
Finance (ILFC) for five General
Electric CF6-80E1-powered
Airbus A330-200s - four ex-
Canada 3000 aircraft and one
new example. The four used air
craft will be delivered by the
middle of this year, while the
new A330 will arrive in
November 2004.
• Malev Hungarian Airlines
has ordered two Bombardier
CRJ200ERs for delivery in June
and July. It has placed orders for
a further six. • Blue Panorama
has signed a five-year lease deal
with ILFC for two Boeing 767-
300ERs. The first aircraft will be
delivered by mid April, with the
second arriving in November.
The 767s will be operated on
long-range charters from Italy.
• Hurstfield, a company owned
by Executive Turbine of
Lanseria, South Africa, has pur
chased two ex-Eagle Aviation
ATR 42-320s in a deal arranged
by Focus Aviation.
FREIGHTERS PAUL LEWIS / WASHINGTON DC
Despite deferrals Atlas still in
search for mid-size capacity
Carrier does not want Boeing 747-400Fs this year and focuses instead on the long term
Atlas Air has reconfirmed plans to
defer orders for three Boeing 747-
400Fs, scheduled for delivery later
this year, but is still showing inter
est in mid-size freighter capacity.
The US cargo wet-lease carrier is
also continuing talks with Airbus
about operating a freighter version
of the ultra-large A380.
"We've several aircraft scheduled
for delivery this year and we're in
discussions with them (Boeing]
about delaying some or all of these
aircraft," says Atlas. Specifically, the
company does not want three 747-
400Fs due for delivery by the end
of this year and has been asking
Boeing since last year to accept a
deferral. There is a fourth aircraft
on order for delivery in 2003.
For now, Atlas intends to main
tain its fleet of 747-400Fs at 12 air
craft but will add another -400F to
the fleet of its recently acquired
subsidiary Polar Air. It has another
six older 747-200s parked in the
desert as a result of the downturn
in the freight market, although
four were temporarily activated for
military charter work last year.
The company's attention instead
appears to be focused longer-term
on the 150t payload capacity A380-
800F, which is due to enter service
in 2008 with launch customer
FedEx Express. Atlas characterises
any plans to order or operate the
aircraft as "still in the discussion
phase". The carrier is understood to
be looking at acquiring as many as
five aircraft, according to industry
sources (Flight International, 12-18
March, P6).
Long-standing plans to acquire a
new fleet of medium-size freighters
in the class of the Airbus A300 or
Boeing 767 have not moved for
ward. The carrier says it remains
interested in the concept of an
inter-hub freighter, but can offer
no timetable for a type decision.
Atlas wants to maintain its 747-400F fleet at its current level of 12 aircraft
MAINTENANCE ANDREW DOYLE / MANILA
Mace consortium agrees Clark deal
A consortium led by UK construc
tion consultancy Mace is preparing
to start building an $850 million
aircraft maintenance and training
facility at the former Clark AB in
the Philippines after signing a 25-
year lease agreement with the Clark
Development Corporation.
The first phase of the project
involves the construction of four
36,000m; (390,000ft2) hangars over
the next two to three years, each of
which will have three bays capable
of housing Boeing 747-400s.
Mace Transport International
(MTI) managing director Gary
Walker says negotiations are under
way with several major airframe
maintenance, repair and overhaul
(MRO) providers that have
expressed an interest in taking over
the hangars. MTI was recently reg
istered in the Philippines as a spe-
Walker declines to name any of
the companies, although the list is
understood to include Singapore
Technologies Aerospace, FedEx
Express and Lufthansa Technik
Philippines. Component and aero
engine MRO providers are also
being targeted.
cial-purpose company to act as lead
consultant on the project.
"We have spoken to anyone
who has got business in Asia and
operates in the MRO market," says
Walker. "The market is there for
hangars with the capability for C
and D checks," he adds.
MAINTENANCE
LTP set for A330 heavy check
Lufthansa Technik Philippines (LTP) is gearing up to start work on its first
Airbus A330 heavy maintenance check in October following the German
company's decision to shift A330/A340 overhauls from its Hamburg base to
Manila, to take advantage of 80% lower manpower costs.
LTP is also about to decide whether to add a General Electric CF6-80C2
overhaul shop following the decision by Philippine Airlines (PAL) and
Lufthansa to withdraw all their CF6-50-powered passenger aircraft from ser
vice. The joint venture - 51 %-owned by Lufthansa Technik (LHT), with
MacroAsia holding the balance -was established in September 2000 follow
ing PAL's decision to spin off its maintenance division. A PAL A340 will be the
first to be overhauled in Manila, in October.
14 26 MARCH - 1 APRIL 2002 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.flightinternational.com